ABSU observes 31st Bodoland Martyrs’ Day

June 13, 2018

ABSU re-affirms to continue movement for Bodoland

Our Correspondent KOKRAJHAR, June 12: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) centrally observed the 31st Bodoland Martyrs’ Day at Borpukhuri, Gohpur in Sonitpur district on Tuesday in commemoration of the great heroes who laid down their valuable lives for creation of Bodoland. The president of the ABSU, Promod Boro said in a statement that during the six-year Bodoland movement from 1987-1993, 1,135 Bodo people were martyred, out of which 535 were from Gohpur. On June 12, 1987, Sujit Narzary, a Class IX student of Bhatipara, Kokrajhar was killed by the anti-Bodoland miscreants while returning from a democratic non-violent rally held at Judge’s Field, Guwahati. Since then this day is observed as Bodoland Martyrs’ Day.

He said, “The Gohpur massacre was an inhuman act that reminds us about the barbaric mass killings during 1989 where 535 Bodo people were killed. Villagers were compelled to flee to Arunachal Pradesh following burning down of houses, killing, looting and arson.” He said both BAC and BTC accords had failed to protect the very existence and the identity of the Bodos and their language, culture and land rights. The demand for creation of Bodoland has been going on through democratic mass movement launched by ABSU, NDFB (P) and PJACBM along with the demand for constitutional rights to the Bodos living outside proposed Bodoland and granting ST Hills status to the Bodos of Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao. Moreover, NDFB (P) and NDFB are also in a peace process and waiting for early solution through meaningful dialogue, he said.

Boro said it was a commitment of the BJP party in their election manifesto, 2014 that if they were voted to power they would resolve the Bodoland issue. A tripartite talk was also held on April 26, 2017 at North Block, New Delhi under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh who assured to continue the talk and to resolve the issue through discussion. But after completion of four years in power by the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, the solution to the Bodoland issue still seemed fantasy due to lack of sincerity and political will, he said, adding that throughout the observance of the Bodoland Martyrs’ Day, the ABSU and its ally movement group re-affirmed to continue the democratic mass movement for early solution to the Bodoland issue. The union thanked the Sarbananda Sonowal government for announcement to grant ex-gratia of Rs. 5 lakh to the next of kin of each martyr of the Bodoland movement.